This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on patent application Ser. No(s). 10-2002-0078333 filed in KOREA on Dec. 10, 2002, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a washing machine, which sucks in external air in a dehydration mode so as to dry laundry.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a drum-type washing machine is an apparatus for washing laundry, i.e., clothing, bedding, etc., in a drum so that contaminants such as dirt stuck to the laundry are eliminated through wash, rinse and dehydration modes using the action of a detergent and water.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional drum-type washing machine. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the conventional drum-type washing machine.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional drum-type washing machine comprises a casing 2, a tub 8 supported by a spring 6 and a damper 7 in the casing 2, a motor 14 installed at the rear surface of the tub 8, and a drum 20 rotatably installed in the tub 8 and connected to a rotary shaft 15 of the motor 14.
Lifts 22 for lifting the laundry (m) and then dropping the laundry (m) are provided at an inner wall of the drum 20, and a plurality of holes 24 for passing wash water therethrough are formed through the circumference of the drum 20.
Openings 2a, 8a and 20a, for putting the laundry into the washing machine therethrough, are respectively formed through front surfaces of the casing 2, the tub 8 and the drum 20, and a door 30 is attached to the front surface of the casing 2 so as to open and close the openings 2a, 8a and 20a. 
The door 30 includes a transparent window 32 for allowing a user to view the inside of the drum 20 therethrough, and a door frame 34 connected to the circumference of the transparent window 32. One side of the door frame 34 is rotatably connected to the casing 2 adjacent to the opening 2a. 
A feed unit 42, for feeding wash water or a detergent required to wash the laundry, is installed on the upper surface of the tub 8. A drain pipe 44, for connecting the inside of the tub 8 to the outside of the tub 8, is connected to the lower surface of the tub 8, and a drain pump 46 is installed in the middle of the drain pipe 44.
Here, reference numeral 48 represents a gasket arranged between the opening 8a of the tub 8 and the opening 2a of the casing 2.
Hereinafter, operation of the above-described conventional drum-type washing machine will be described in detail.
First, after the laundry (m) is put into the drum 20, the door 30 is closed into the casing 2, and the washing machine is operated. Then, wash water and a detergent are supplied to the inside of the tub 8 from the feed unit 42 connected to the lower surface of the tub 8 so that the lower portion of the drum 20 is immersed in the wash water and the laundry within the drum 20 is wet by the wash water.
Thereafter, the motor 14 is driven so that the drum 20 is rotated. Then, the laundry contained in the drum 20 is lifted and dropped by the lifts 22, thereby being cleaned by the action of the wash water and the detergent.
After the above-described wash mode is terminated, wastewater in the tub 8 is discharged to the outside through the drain pump 46 and the drain pipe 44.
Thereafter, the washing machine is operated in a rinse mode several times in order to rinse the laundry for removing the residue of the detergent from the laundry. Here, clean water is supplied to the tub 8 through the feed unit 42, and the motor 14 is driven so that the drum 20 is rotated. Then, the laundry contained in the drum 20 is lifted and dropped by the lifts 22, thereby being rinsed. Wastewater containing the residue of the detergent is discharged to the outside through the drain pump 46 and the drain pipe 44.
After several repetitions of the above-described rinse mode, the washing machine is operated in a dehydration mode for dehydrating the laundry.
That is, when the motor 14 rotates the drum 20 at a high speed, the laundry (m) contained in the drum 20 is centrifugally dehydrated, and then moisture exhausted from the laundry (m) is collected in the tub 8 through the holes 24 of the drum 20 and discharged to the outside through the drain pump 46 and the drain pipe 44.
The above-described drum-type washing machine requires a separate dry pipe or heater, and a dry mode, in case that the laundry (m) in the drum 20 is dried after the wash, rinse and dehydration modes, thus causing an increase in cost and time taken to dry the laundry (m).